Ruffling attachment for sewing-machines



. ew. nAnBY. e Rnffling Attachment for Sewing Machines.

No. 231,768. t

Patented Aug..31, 1880.

QlLr-qfh'., mOn/l5 IN )VENTO/e ATTORNEY l WITASSESS n W d JW l YY' S /a Y ILPETERS. PHOTYLLITHDGRAPMER. WA

UNITED STA-TES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. DARBY, OF HAMILTON, OHIO.

RUFFLING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,768, dated August 31, 1880.

Application filed January 29, 1880. u

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE W. DAEBY, of Hamilton, Butler county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ruffling Attachments for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The device is intended to be attached to the presser-bar of a sewing-machine and be operated by the needle-screw.

The accompanying drawing shows the device in perspective.

In the drawing, A represents the presserbar of a sewing-machine.

By means of the clamp B the main frame C P L of the ruftler, which is rigidly attached to the clamp B, is supported. The main frame is provided with a standard, D, which supports the pivot on which the actuating-lever oscillates.

The general arrangement of the parts and mode of operation are very much similar to those of other well-known ruffling devices.

The ruffle goods are to pass under the framespring M. Y

K is the separating-spring under which the body of the goods passes and over which the ruffle goods pass. R is the reciprocating rufile-blade.

The end V of the separating-spring K pro- 3o jects forward under the needle andV over the feed-surface of the sewing-machine. The end of the ruffle-blade is, by this forward projection of the separating-spring, prevented from touching the feed-surface of the sewing-machine. This guards against damage to either the rufeblade or the feed-piece.

To prevent the gather of the ruffle from being drawn back by the ruffle-blade, a checkshoulder, U, is placed 'above the separatingspring at a point about in the needles path.

The ruffle-blade R T is attached to and operated by means of a lever pivoted to the main frame, as shown. The lever is formed with two members, F and H, the lower member, H, being itted on the main pivot with the member F, and being made adjustable with reference to the member F. This adjustment is effected by means ofthe ratchet I on the lever F and the spring-extension J on the piece H, as clearly shown in the drawing.

Any other adjusting device not liable to shake loose will answer the purpose of the spring and ratchet.

The needle-screw strikes alternately at m and H, and the distance between these points, considered with reference to the stroke of the needle-screw, governs the amount of motion the ruftle-blade will have.

In order to retract the ruffle-blade so as to allow the needle to descend, the needlescrew is caused, early in its downward stroke, to strike the inward downward prolongation G of the lever F. This prolongation is of such length that soon after the needlescre'w strikes it, and after the ruffle-blade is retracted far enough to allow the needle to pass, it will, by its natural motion, pass from under the needle-screw in an obvious manner and allow the needle-screw to descend farther while the rufing device is at rest, and complete the oscillation of the lever by coming in contact with the part H.

For very fine ruffles the small amount of motion given at the arm G, as just explained, might be sufficient to produce the ruffle; but in such case the arm G might, by ordinary springing of the parts, allow the needle-screw to pass downward and still be in the way and be struck by the needle-screw on its upward stroke. This would cause breakage, and,to prevent it I fix the stop-block t on the ratchet I at such point that when the parts F and H are adjusted as wide open as the block t will permit the needle-screw will still strike the part H and move it suciently to insure the arm G being moved out of the way of the needle-screw as the needle-screw rises.

The stop-block t is rigidly fixed in place after the device is adjusted 'to suit a given machine or style of machine.

I claim as my inventionl. Thecombinatiomwitha supporting-frame, a reciprocating ruffle-blade, and a mechanism for reciprocating said ruftleblade, of a separating-spring rigidly attached to the supporting-frame, adapted to project forward under the needle and between the ruffle-blade and the feed-surface of a sewing-machine, and-provided with a check shoulder upon its upper side, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination,with a supportingframe, a ruffleblade, and mechanism for reciprocat- 2 .egress enforcement upon its upper side, substantially as set forth.

3. The combinatiomwith a supporting-fram e, a reciprocating,` ruffle-blade, and an adjustable lever, of a lever mounted on the pivot of the adjustable lever and provided with a down- .Ward inward prolongation and a means of adjusting the relation of the two levers to each other, substantially as set forth.

4L. The combi nation,with a supportin g-frame,

a reciprocating ruiiie-blade, a pair of levers 15,

mounted o n a single pivot, and a spring-andratchet adjustment for the levers, of a rigid stop-block to limit the adjustment, substantially as set forth.

GEORGE W. DARBY.

Witnesses z J. W. SEE, YV. N. GRAY. 

